Hydrapak SoftFlask Review

[Editor’s Note: Soft flasks of all sorts have made a splash into the trail and ultra worlds over the past year or two. Below, our reviewer takes a look at a particular model. We welcome your feedback on this particular piece of gear, but would also love to hear your thoughts on soft flasks in general as well as other models.]

Ahh, handheld hydration. I love you. I hate you. You’re simple and convenient. Then, you’re lopsided and noisy. And, yet, no matter how I feel about you, I simply cannot help but purchase your most recent relative when it catches my eye. This was most certainly the case for the Hydrapak SoftFlask($20 for the 500 mL version tested). Although I had been using a backpack for water-carrying in the past year, when I saw these on the shelf of my local REI (the only retailer carrying them at present), I had to give a handheld another try.

A 500 mL Hydropak SoftFlask.

Construction
As with most handhelds, the SoftFlask aspires for elegant simplicity. In other words, it is as simple as possible while still providing the runner a few fun additions. The simple part of the SoftFlask is its basic construction. It is a soft bladder (which comes in 350ml, 500ml, and 750ml sizes) with a fairly standard bite-to-flow nipple on top. If you want to shed all weight in the handheld, you can strip the SoftFlask down to those two components with very little else.

And, those two components work very well. The nipple is Goldilocks. (Not too hard, not too soft.) The bladder is made of similar material to most hydration bladders on the market today. It’s rugged and can take a few scrapes, but won’t survive too many pokes with a sharp stick.

Hydrapak added a few small details to the SoftFlask to make it more user-friendly. It comes with a separate but tether-able nipple cover. The cover is made of hard plastic. I generally pull covers off with my teeth, so I would have appreciated a slightly softer material. In addition to the cover, there is a soft nylon finger strap. I found it to be a little generous for one thumb and just a bit too tight for my pointer and middle fingers. But, it worked great with the thumb. Some runners might prefer a full hand strap, which could be rigged using your own materials and the bottom loops. (See next paragraph.)

There are two other features that left me scratching my head a bit. First is the ‘on/off’ switch. The top fifth of the blue cap can be twisted to stop the flow of water entirely. I found this to be unnecessary as: 1) the nipple did a great job stopping leaks, and 2) twisting this small ring was incredibly tough. The other feature that is a bit odd are three loops on the bottom of the bladder. I assume this is to strap the bladder to something, but I haven’t found an application for them yet.

Function
As I mentioned at the beginning, I have a difficult relationship with handhelds. Namely, my two big complaints are that they can feel lopsided and get noisy when they start to slosh. (I’m probably a bit OCD on that point.) The SoftFlask doesn’t do much to help the former concern. But, it completely eliminates the latter. As you drink from the SoftFlask, it collapses on itself like all bladders do. This eliminates all sloshing and allows you to stow the empty SoftFlask easily. In my opinion, a huge improvement over other handhelds.

The nipple provides great flow on a run. You don’t feel like you are going to collapse the back of your head trying to get enough water through it. And, it disassembles easily for cleaning. (You just pull it apart.) In addition, the bladder is top-shelf dishwasher-safe. So, it’s easy to avoid starting a sea-monkey farm in it. The entire thing is BPA-free, but does lend a mild plastic taste to the water until it’s been washed a couple of times.

A compressed Hydropak SoftFlask.

Overall
Hydrapak has done well putting together a minimal handheld. The features tend to be on the light and simple side of things. And, even the odd ones, such as the on/off switch and loops, don’t add much weight or hassle to the bladder. I picked up the 500ml model for just under $20. This seemed a bit high, but when weighed against the other contenders in this field (Salomon’s Soft Flask) the price is justified, as the SoftFlask has a few more features comparatively. If you are in the market for a new handheld (or to just expand the collection in the garage), it certainly deserves a try.

Call for Comments (from Bryon)

Do you ever run with some sort of soft flask? If so, why?

Not into soft flasks? What keeps you using rigid bottles or hydration bladders?

Adam Barnhart discovered from an early age that he loved running , but didn't like starting guns. As a result, he is frequently found wandering the area trails around Anchorage, AK, but only at races after considerable peer-pressure is applied. When not trail running, Adam keeps pace with his wife and kids, works as a pastor and, with the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group.All posts by Adam Barnhart

Comments

I'm a bottle guy, and I like bite valves/nipples better than valves that require a twist or pull to open. So I like the UltraSpire bottle vests, but I use the Ultimate Direction bottles. On handhelds, my one gripe is that sometimes I need both hands to do something, and it can be awkward to try to put/hold the bottle. My solution: I cut off a D-ring equipped dog leash off just below the loop handle/D-ring. Using a mini-biner I can clip a loop-equipped bottle to the D-ring. This way, if I want, I can just slip the leash over my wrist and let the bottle hang. That, by the way, tends to reduce the annoying sloshing noise. It also frees up that hand to wrestle open food wrappers or whatever.
I'm surprised no one has made a loop & clip handle like that for use with bottles.

I don't mind a soft flask if it's not too big (10-12oz ish) and it's cold enough to slip the floppy end up my long sleeve. The flopping drives me crazy… the collapsing which eliminates sloshing, I like. My small one does fit in the front pouch of my packs (ultraspire, and the UD jenny ultravesta). I'm not a convert… but it's interesting.

I prefer rigid bottles…Yes the sloshing may get annoying once in a while, but I would rather have that then the flopping any day. I used the salomon soft flask, with the hand/finger holder and when full it would droop down towards the wrist and flop to no end. After that I switched back to standard handhelds.

I bought the 750 last month as I was heading out on a trail run on my honeymoon. I got it to carry in my hand because I wanted to go light. It was great when it was full but got awkward as it started to empty. it was so long compared to the width of my hand that it ended up flopping on either side of where I held it. Also thumb loop is kind of awkward size as mentioned. I wound up blowing air back into flask and living with the slosh until it was empty. After the run, I exchanged it for the 500ml which is perfectly sized for my hand. Then I bought a backpacking cinch strap, ditched the thumb loop and made my own hand strap using the secure points at top and bottom. Compresses nicely into my hand as I drink, just keep cinching. No slosh like a hard bottle and I prefer the feel of the soft bladder around my hand. I kind of like the on/off for when its full in my car. Hate it when you discover your bladder is empty and the backseat is full. Kind of thought the dust cap is a waste for my purposes and don't even have it anymore. Hope this helps anyone out there interested!

I've never really used a handheld, but I bought a couple of the large Salomon soft flasks to use in the chest pockets of my Salomon pack. The first time I used them, one fell out within the first 4 miles of a 16 mile run. Of course, I didn't notice it at the time. Why on earth does Salomon make a flask that doesn't stay in the pocket of their vests??? I've used the surviving flask a couple of times, but I either don't carry it in the chest pocket or else I cinch it down REALLY well (and obsessively check it as I run).
I was in REI the other day and looked at the Hydrapak 750. I thought it looked pretty good, and I would have bought one if I hadn't been there with my wife. I think she thinks I have enough bottles!

I’ve found it much easier to use the lock/unlock mechanism of you pinch the nipple and turn it, rather than try to turn the too part of the cap. I’m still not sure it’s a needed feature, but it’s easier to use than I first thought.